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Teagarden unsure about opening day (Tigers lineup)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Catcher Taylor Teagarden received an epidural yesterday to alleviate the pain in his lower back after a CT scan revealed a slightly torn ligament that supports a disk. Now he must wait a few weeks and wonder whether he can be ready for the April 6 opener.

"I'm not really sure what the timeframe is," he said. "It's not as serious, ... it could have been worse, but it's going to take a little more time to heal. I've just got to play each day by day and see how it responds."

Asked if he's concerned about opening day, Teagarden said, "It's hard to say. I was given the two- to three-week deal, but it depends on how I feel, so it could go quicker. I've been resting it since the sixth or seventh. They've got a protocol for me to kind of rehabilitate my back.

"It might get close, but I'll do everything I can to be out there."

Teagarden suffered a back injury in 2005 during his first season with the Texas Rangers.

"This is a little bit different than that," he said. "That was kind of a build up continuation of the grind of a baseball season. This is kind of a one-time deal. Kind of unlucky or whatever you want to call it, but it was a one-time thing that I did. Hopefully, I can get everything calmed down and get back to baseball activities."